Universal compressor assembly

ABSTRACT

A universal compressor device includes a cylinder disposed in a shell, a shaft rotatably and slidably received in the cylinder, three or more pistons slidably received in the cylinder to alternatively actuate the shaft to move axially relative to the cylinder, and two valve plates disposed on ends of the cylinder to control fluid flowing passage. One cover and one cap are selectively secured to the ends of the shell, to enclose and retain the elements within the shell, and for attaching to one vehicle. One or more other covers and caps may further be selectively secured to the shell, for attaching the universal compressor device to the other vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a universal compressor assembly, andmore particularly to a universal compressor assembly for assembling ontovarious vehicles or the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical compressors comprise three or more pistons slidably received inone or more cylinders, in order to form a reciprocating piston typecompressor of axial design.

The typical compressors are normally disposed in the engine compartmentof vehicles, and coupled to the refrigerant systems for pumping coolantor other agents through the refrigerant piping systems.

Normally, various kinds of typical compressors are designed forattaching or coupling to the engines of different vehicles. For example,the compressors designed for such as GM or FORD vehicles may only beused in GM or FORD vehicles only, and may not be attached to the othervehicles.

Similarly, the compressors designed for VOLKSWAGEN or NISSAN or TOYOTAvehicles, for example, may only be used in VOLKSWAGEN or NISSAN orTOYOTA vehicles only, and may not be attached to the other vehicles;i.e., the compressors are all designed for being secured or attachedonto one particularly designed refrigerant system of one particular orselected vehicle only, and no parts or elements of the compressors maybe used commonly.

For vehicle repairing shops or companies, they have to order and storevarious kinds of compressors in stock for different vehicles. Inaddition, the vehicle repairing shops or companies have to prepare orrent a large space or building to store many compressors for differentvehicles.

For some of the vehicle repairing companies who have no spare spaces orbuildings to store the compressors, the vehicle repairing companies thushave to order the required compressors from particular companies whenrequired. Some times, it may take a long time to wait for a compressor.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional universal compressorassemblies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a universalcompressor assembly including one or more caps or covers for selectivelyattaching to a universal compressor body, and for allowing the universalcompressor assembly to be easily and selectively attached to differentvehicles.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a universalcompressor assembly including fewer parts or elements required to bestored, for reducing the required storing spaces or buildings for thecompressors for different vehicles.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided auniversal compressor assembly comprising a shell including two ends, acylinder disposed in the shell, a shaft rotatably and slidably receivedin the cylinder and including a cam member disposed thereon, at leastthree pistons slidably received in the cylinder and engageable with thecam member, to alternatively actuate the shaft to move axially relativeto the cylinder, two valve plates disposed on ends of the cylinder tocontrol fluid flowing passage, a first cover and a first cap selectivelysecured to the ends of the shell, to enclose and retain the cylinder andthe shaft and the pistons and the valve plates within the shell, and forattaching to one vehicle. One or more second covers and one or moresecond cap may further be provided to be selectively secured to the endsof the shell, to enclose and retain the cylinder and the shaft and thepistons and the valve plates within the shell, and for attaching to theother vehicles when the first cover and the first cap are disengagedfrom the ends of the shell.

The shell and the cylinder and the shaft and the pistons and the valveplates may thus be commonly used for all of the compressors. Only thecovers and caps are required to be changed or replaced with the otherones, for attaching onto different vehicles.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a universal compressor assembly inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another partial exploded view of the universal compressorassembly;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 are perspective views illustrating three differentarrangements of the universal compressor assembly; and

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 are partial exploded views of the universal compressorassemblies as shown in FIGS. 3-5 respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a universalcompressor assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises ashell 10, a cylinder 11 disposed and/or secured in the shell 10, a shaft12 rotatably and slidably received in the cylinder 11 and including acam member 13 disposed thereon, and three or more pistons 14 slidablyreceived in the cylinder 11 and engageable with the cam member 13, toalternatively actuate or force the shaft 12 to move axially along orrelative to the cylinder 11.

The universal compressor assembly further comprises two valve plates 15,16 received in the shell 10 and disposed on the ends of the cylinder 11,for controlling the flowing passage or directions of the fluid orcoolant agent to be pumped by the universal compressor assembly. Theabove-described structure for the universal compressor assembly istypical and will not be described in further details.

The universal compressor assembly further comprises a first cover 20 anda first cap 30 selectively secured to the ends of the shell 10 (FIGS. 3,6), to enclose and retain the cylinder 11 and the shaft 12 and thepistons 14 and the valve plates 15, 16 within the shell 10. The firstcover 20 and the first cap 30 are designed or shaped for attaching orsecuring to one refrigerant system of one of the vehicles, for example.

The universal compressor assembly further comprises one or more secondcovers 21, 22 and one or more second caps 31, 32 selectively secured tothe ends of the shell 10 (FIGS. 4, 7; and 5, 8), for attaching orsecuring to the refrigerant systems of the other vehicles. A clutchdevice 40 is normally provided and attached to the shaft 12 forclutching purposes.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5 and 6-8, the shell 10 and the cylinder 11 and theshaft 12 and the pistons 14 and the valve plates 15, 16 may thus becommonly used and selectively assembled between the first cover 20 andthe first cap 30, or the second covers 21, 22 and the second caps 31,32, for allowing the universal compressor assembly to be attached orsecured to the refrigerant systems of various or different vehicles.

The users, particularly the vehicle repairing companies or shops, mayonly be required to prepare and store one set of the shell 10 and thecylinder 11 and the shaft 12 and the pistons 14 and the valve plates 15,16, and one or more pairs of the covers 20-22 and the caps 30-32, forattaching or securing to the refrigerant systems of different vehicles.

It is to be noted that all of the universal compressors may use the sameor the identical shell 10 and cylinder 11 and shaft 12 and pistons 14and valve plates 15, 16, such that the shell 10 and the cylinder 11 andthe shaft 12 and the pistons 14 and the valve plates 15, 16 may bemanufactured with mass production, and may be manufactured with the mostefficient but the cheapest ones.

The universal compressors benefit the vehicle repairing companies much,because they are not required to order and store various kinds ofcompressors in stock for different vehicles, and they may prepare ororder fewer compressor parts or elements for different vehicles, andthey need not to rent a large space or building to store the compressorsparts or elements.

Accordingly, the universal compressor assembly in accordance with thepresent invention includes one or more caps or covers for selectivelyattaching to a universal compressor body, and for allowing the universalcompressor assembly to be easily and selectively attached to differentvehicles, and includes fewer parts or elements required to be stored,for reducing the required storing spaces or buildings for thecompressors for different vehicles.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A universal compressor assembly comprising: a shell including twoends, a cylinder disposed in said shell, a shaft rotatably and slidablyreceived in said cylinder and including a cam member disposed thereon,at least three pistons slidably received in said cylinder and engageablewith said cam member, to alternatively actuate said shaft to moveaxially relative to said cylinder, two valve plates disposed on ends ofsaid cylinder to control fluid flowing passage, a first cover and afirst cap selectively secured to said ends of said shell, to enclose andretain said cylinder and said shaft and said pistons and said valveplates within said shell, and for attaching to one vehicle, and at leastone second cover and at least one second cap for selectively securing tosaid ends of said shell, to enclose and retain said cylinder and saidshaft and said pistons and said valve plates within said shell, and forattaching to the other vehicles when said first cover and said first capare disengaged from said ends of said shell.
 2. The universal compressorassembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one thirdcover and at least one third cap selectively secured to said ends ofsaid shell, to enclose and retain said cylinder and said shaft and saidpistons and said valve plates within said shell, and to attach to theother vehicles when said first cover and said first cap are disengagedfrom said ends of said shell.